The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-09-03

EEROCiOUS GRIZZLIES.


attacked. l was one of these doubling
Thomases until two years ago. when
was thoroughly convinced by ocular
demonstration that some grizzlies, a
least. will attempt to make a meal of
man, even though he may not hav,
harmed them previously. We wer'
hunting in the Shoshone Mountains, il
Northern Wyoming. I had killed {
large elk in the morning. and on go
ing back to the carcass in the after
noon to skin it, we saw that Bruin hat
been there ahead Of us, but had fed or
our approach Without the least ap.
prehension of his return, we leaned
our rifles against a tree about fifty feet
away, and commenced work. There
were three of us, but only
two rifles, Mr.. Huffman, the photog'
rapher having left his in camp. He
had finished taking views of the car
cass, and we were all busily engaged
SHINING when, hearing crashing in
the brush and . series Of savage roars
and growls, we looked up the hill. and
were Mortified to see the grizzly bears.
an old female and two cubs about two
thirds grown. charging upon us with
all the savage fury Of pack of starv'
ing wolves upon a shoop.fold.
They were between us and our rifles
when we first saw them, and we sprang
to our horses. which were picketed a
few yards below, supposing, of course,
that when the bears reached the elk
carcass they would proceed to eat it.
and pay no further attention to u.s.
Strange to say, it was the carcass to
which they paid no attention. They
still came after us; we had no time
for flight. and could not even re-
lease and mount our terror-stricken
horses. Our only chance was to fight
for our lives, and with one accord we
all three grasped our hunting-knivcs
and dashed at them. We threw our
hats and yelled like Comanches, and
the savage brutcs. seeing themselves
thus boldly confronted by equal NUM-
bers, stopped, raised on their launches.
growled, snapped their jaws for a few
moments, and then walked sullcnly
back up the hill into the brush. This
gave us IN opportunity to gel hold of
our rifles, and then it was our turn to
charge. To make long story short,
we killed the old female and one cub;
The other escaped into the jungle be-
fore we could get shot at him. The
resolute front we put on alone saved
our lives.
The grizzly is partially nocturnal in
its habits, and apparently divides his
labor Of obtaining food and his trav-
cling about equally between day and
night. 1t is not definitely known to
what age he lives in his wild state, but
he is supposed to attain to twonty-fi five
or thirty years.
Notwithstanding the great courage
and ferocity of this formidable bear,
he will utter the most pitiable groans
and bowls when seriously or mortally
wounded.
Another instance of a grizzly max.
ing al unprovoked attack upon man
whom know to be strictly truthful.
Two brothers were prospecting in #
range OF mountains near the head
waters Of the Sinking Water river.
The younger Of the two. though an
able-bodied man. and capable of doing
a good day S work with pick or shovel,
was weak-minded, and the older
brother never allowed him to 60 any
distance away from camp or their work
alone. He, however, sent him one
evening to the spring, a few rods ntf.
to bring kettleful of water. The
spring was in deep gorge, and the
trail to it wound through some assures
in the rock. As the young man passed
under shelving rock, an immense old
female grizzly. that had taken up
temporary quarters there. reached out
and struck powerful blow at his
head, but fortunately could not reach
far enough to do him any seriou,
harm. The blow knocked his hat of.
and her claws caught his scalp, and
laid it open clear across the top of his
head in several ugly gashes. The
force Of the blow sent him spin
ming around, and not know.
ing enough to be frightened,
he attacked her savagely with
the only weapon he had at hand-the
camp kettle. The elder brother heard
the racket. and catching up his rifle,
found his brother vigorously belabor-
ing the bear over the head with the
camp kettle, and the boar striking at
him savage blows, any one of which.
il she could have reached him, would
have torn his head from his shoulders.
Three bullets from the rifle. fired in
rapid succession, loosened her hold
upon the rocks. and shc tumbled lite.
lessly into the trail. Tho poor idiotic
boy could not even then realiz, the
danger through which he had passed.
and could only appcase his anger by
continuing to maui the bear over tho
the head with tho camp kettle for ssv-
cral minutes after she was dead. g.